Being Krystyna, by Carol Browne,is a story about a ninety-five year old Polish Holocaust survivor, Krystyna Porsz. It is a story that is at most times, hard to read. As I imagine every book depicting real-life accounts of the Holocaust are.

Ms. Porsz states that at first she felt her story wasn’t special because there were thousands just like her. “So much suffering,” she said.

But she decides to tell her story, “if only to honour and remember those who were killed.”

Being Krystyna is Porsz’ life. It is poignant and heart-wrenching. Although I read this story obviously knowing that Krystyna survives every tortuous moment she is forced to endure, that didn’t stop me from clutching my pillow, wondering if this will be the moment her body finally succumbs to the deprivation surrounding her.

Ms. Porsz tells her story in such a matter-of-fact kind of a way, void of any…